While there is controversy over whether an Analytical study is better or a methodology called Synthetic based on historical or logical or textual or contextual or other basis is more accurate or logical or reasonable or whatever,  at Apostolic Internet Seminary we will teach you to study with the perspective of wanting to know as nearly as possible what Jesus Christ and His original Apostles would teach, preach and practice if they were here in person today.  Since we believe that everyone needs to have read the entire Bible to have an overview of God's overall Word to us, your first year studies will be based largely on an Analitical study of Genesis , the first two chapters each of Matthew and Luke and then the entire Book of Acts. This should give you a fairly solid foundation for understanding "The Big Picture" of what God wants us to know about Him and His plan for us. We will study how to analyze a scripture systematically in the context in which it was written, determine to whom it was written and by whom, what the conditions were that caused the scripture to be written, what questions were being asked and/or answered by the verse and how this understanding fits the remainder of Bible teaching on the subject. Also, does this understanding of the verse agree with known historical or scientific facts. In SCI101 you will learn that True Science never contradicts a correct understanding of any scripture. The Theory of Evolution as a whole, defies real methods of scientific discovery although there are some limited and verifiable facts incorporated into the theory. We will devote a full 2 semester-hour course to disproving the scientific basis of the Theory of Evolution from a purely scientific basis and then link this to Biblical Creation science.

There is a possible misconception of what this course is intended to teach that I want to clear up at the very beginning.  Bible  101 (BIB101-1) through Bible 404 (BIB404-12) are NOT studies in doctrinal truth. They are focused on the nuts and bolts of teaching you to study your Bible with the urgent desire to know above all else what God is communicating to you personally and to everyone you touch.  In the BIB courses, the focus is on who the inspired writer was, his background or life outlook, his nationality, his relationship with God, during what time period and what the surrounding events were at the time of the writing of that particular scripture and all other factors that are key to understanding "where he was coming from" as he wrote. We will be studying in close parallel the Doctrine (DOC101-1 to Doc 404-12) Course which will deal with the important doctrinal points. But you need to understand that except when necessary, we will deal ONLY with the facts of the writing and authorship of the Bible in the Bible courses and your own understanding of study methods. The Doctrine course will be focused on all the doctrinal points and will not be dealing with who wrote that point unless it absolutely necessary to the understanding of that doctrinal point. 

We do not recognize challenges to the real authenticity of the Bible as the Word of God and will teach you that the Bible is the totally reliable Word of God in spite of minor translational errors in various translations. Every truly correct and important doctrine can be taught from even the poorest translation, because God has protected His Word. We will let you know of recognized translation problems with certain passages according to the scholarly authorities which may be used by some to attempt to dispute sound doctrine. In this and the next lesson, you will learn a limited history of the published versions of the Bible and a brief history of the early Christian church from the standpoint of understanding the setting and context of the original writers of the scripture. It is the position of Apostolic Internet Seminary (AIS) that there are no actual contradictions between various scriptures which seem to be saying opposite things that are sometimes used to argue that there are contradictions, but only a failure to understand the original meaning intended by God and the human writers. It is also the position of Apostolic Internet Seminary (AIS) that a correct Biblical understanding results in both physical and mental health, peace, joy, confidence, deliverance from undesirable habits or actual demonic spirits and a level of Spiritual POWER that produces limitless miracles of all kinds and an EXCITING Apostolic life.

Evidence and methods of understanding we will attempt to show you include:
- On Textual Criticism Generally 
 -Evidence of the Manuscripts relating to both Old and New Testament books
 -Where Are the Earliest presently known Manuscripts of both Old and New Testament books? 
 -Evidence of the various Versions relating to both Old and New Testament books
 -Evidence of Early Writings relating to both Old and New Testament books
 -Eusebius of Caesarea relating to New Testament books
 -The Evidence of Eusebius relating to New Testament books
 -Other Early Writings relating to both Old and New Testament books
 -Josephus
 -How the Manuscripts Were Changed 
 -Internal Evidence 
 -Other Sources 
 -Is It Important? 

In Bible 101-1 Lesson 1  Introduction to Sound Methods of Bible Study, we will first study how to analyze a scripture systematically in the context in which it was written, determine to whom it was written and by whom, what the conditions were that caused the scripture to be written, what questions were being asked and/or answered by the verse and how this understanding fits the remainder of Bible teaching on the subject. You will be taught to believe the Bible, taking what each verse said with an understanding of and in agreement with what all other verses on the subject teach. And I submit to you that other methods of study do not bring out the real meaning of what God wants us to know about Him. They inject human reasoning, prior theology of men, albeit sometimes learned men, and fleshly experience rather than absolute trust in God's own Word in agreement with context. Also, does this understanding of the verse or passage  agree with known historical or scientific facts. We will devote the first two lessons BIB101-1 and BIB101-2 The Vital Importance of Rightly Dividing God's Word, to learning the HOW to study and understand the Bible. Beginning with BIB101-3 and continuing through the remainder first two (2) years of Bible BIB courses, we will then alternate in a condensed Commentary and Survey format between chapters in the Old Testament and chapters in the New  Testament. The methodology here is to help you understand WHY  the speaker or writer said what they did and HOW the first readers or hearers, to whom the Gospels and Epistles were written would have understood that message. In EVERY case, other than Luke and the Book of Acts,  the New Testament speakers and writers were Jewish and had a thorough knowlege of the Law and the Prophets.  And even in those two books, the Greek doctor, Luke tended to be quoting someone who was Jewish and in the Apostle Paul's case, was frankly proud of his heritage.  We will "accentuate the positive" and avoid the negative of any false teachings from passages in the BIB series. That will come in the DOC and REL courses.

It will be in the Doctrine Course DOC series that we will deal wih all the essential doctrines for Salvation, Healing, Holiness, Holy Spirit Infilling and Baptism, Prophecy, Evangelism, and lesser doctrines, both real and heretical. Serious studies on major heresies, their origins, if possible why the wrong teaching came to be accepted, and role play interactive discussion will come in the REL series lessons.

INSTRUCTION:

1.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you study this lesson.
2. Read the Lesson Text below and analyze in your own mind the validity of every statement made with the determination that you want to know the real truth and what God is saying to us in His Word.

3.  Read and study the whole chapter 1 Corinthians 7 with the thought in mind that you are not, in this lesson, trying to study the actual problems and situations addressed in the chapter, but rather, how the Apostle is systematically answering questioins even though we do not have a written record of the original questions.

4.  Go to the link at the bottom of the Lesson Text and click on the link to the Lesson Credit Quiz Questions and send your answers to the questions to the link provided for grading and correction.
5.  Pray and ask that the Holy Spirit bring what you have studied to your remembrance and give you full understanding of it for His glory and honor.

Bible 101 LESSON TEXT 1:

True facts are the basis for all knowledge and understanding.  This is true of grammar, science, mathematics, history, geography, electronics and ALL other subjects, especially the Bible. The Bible is true because it works. It has withstood the tests of time as well as scientific,  geographic and historic accuracy.

To obtain a right understanding of what God is trying to communicate to us, we must study everything the Bible says on the subject at hand, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. This methodology is commonly referred to among the scholarly types as the "Synthetic Method" because it brings together verses from many different parts of the Bible that all deal with the same subject matter. It is important to remember that the writers of the New Testament were so used to the Old Testament and its historical facts, its laws and the prophets that they often said things which cannot possibly be correctly  understood by anyone who is not also familiar with or at least acquainted with the Old Testament. This is why we want all students to carefully and prayerfully read their entire Bibles as well and why our first year Bible Course will dwell heavily in Analytical Methodology to give a solid foundation for later Synthetic study of crucial doctrines. Jesus Himself, said He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). If this doctrine seems contrary to the teaching of the church, one must look up church history to discover if and when a change was made in that doctrine. A rule you should always apply to every scripture is to ask the following four questions: 
     1. Who is speaking? 
     2. To whom is he speaking? 
     3. Is the human author of that verse of scripture the person speaking, or is he quoting someone else? 
     4. Is that particular passage an unsolicited instruction, or is it a specific answer to a specific  question? 
As an example of this principle, we use  I Corinthians 7:1. "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me..." The Apostle Paul goes on to answer the questions which are apparent from the phrase, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me..." rather directly as their overpastor in the next several chapters. He was not giving commandments concerning which the Holy Spirit had spoken to him directly revealing  problems that needed correction  to people who were not already concerned with pleasing the Lord Jesus. While we do not have the original letter with the questions in it, we can safely surmise what the questions were by the answers given. And the Apostle Paul specifies that certain things are his personal opinion and not commandments from the Lord while others bear the weight of commandments from the Lord.  This is not "pick and choose what you want" theology but the only reasonable and logical way to understand what the Apostle is saying.

One problem many students of the Bible have is that they have never read the entire Bible. They have only read and studied those scripture texts printed in or referenced to their Sunday School quarterlies and what their preacher or visiting evangelists  have preached on. There is no point of reference to any other scripture to know whether the sermon their pastor preached Sunday morning was using the scripture text he read in the way that the original writer intended. So when a different preacher preaches a different doctrinal viewpoint using that same scripture verse or series of verses, there is confusion and from confusion can come frustration with the Bible and with Christianity as a whole. It may also form a basis for heresy.

One ABSOLUTE requirement for graduation from Apostolic Internet Seminary is that the student has read the Bible in its entirety from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21. While a program of reading the Bible through in one (1) year will get you through the Bible, the usual breaking of sequence in such programs will tend to hinder you from getting a good "birds eye view" of the whole Bible. For your own benefit, we recommend starting at Genesis 1:1 and continuing through Revelation in the order the books are organized in the Bible. It is quite true that in some instances, you might well break in 2 Kings or 1 Chronicles where we have some of the details of King Uzziah's life and read Isaiah at that point for a  more chronologically correct view and we might take some of the minor prophets and insert them likewise at the point at which the life of the king during whose reign they lived is detailed in the Kings or Chronicles, but if you have never read the entire Bible yet, I would recommend that you follow the book order. There will be time enough later for you to learn the actual chronological sequence of events. In some cases, this will be covered in your various History courses and as prevoiusly noted, you will study Doctrinal points in your Doctrine courses.  So, your Bible courses are intended to provide you with first, the methodology and understanding of Bible facts and principles in general. Doctrine courses will deal with all doctrinal subjects, History will tie in general World history with Bible history, Science will relate general scientific knowledge and principles to Bible facts while the Religion courses will compare Biblical Christianity to other religious beliefs, both of heretical Bible based religions like Mormonism,  Jehovah's Witnesses  and Catholicism and  the non-Bible based religions of tribal societies and Far Eastern cultures like Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism and voodoo.

Another problem is that we are generally conditioned to accept what the pastor says and not question it. For years and from many pulpits, I heard "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8, 9). The message hearers were intended to get was always that only their pastor had right doctrine and if anybody came preaching anything he didn't preach, we were to consider that person accursed. Psychologically, it worked. For the first half of my life, I refused to accept any doctrine that was not in line with what the various pastors who came through our church every two or four years happened to preach. For the most part, they preached the Gospel, but they did preach the usual denominational shortcut to salvation that leaves the vast majority of new "converts" with their old sin nature still alive and well, though they are trying to live the Christian life.  And they also taught that we should be baptized but it was not essenal to our salvation. Likewise, we should "tarry" for the Holy Ghost, but it was not critical that we receive the Holy Ghost.  We were saved by faith; by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.  But as time progressed and there were deviations in what the various pastors preached, it became a little bit confusing since each was saying that anyone who wasn't preaching what they preached should be accursed. Which one was right?
This condemnation by the Apostle Paul of anyone preaching anything he had not already preached is often misused to make church members think that the scripture passage is referring to what their pastor has already taught and due to their own lack of Bible knowledge, they may accept a traditional doctrine that is not Biblical and reject messages that are truly Biblical because it is not what their pastor has already taught. This is a serious problem for those who may be living less than overcoming, victorious lives as new creatures in Christ Jesus and indeed may end up lost because they have chosen to believe a pastor or other minister who has used this Galatians passage to make themselves the only teacher their hearers will believe.

A third problem similar to the last one is our tendency to revere and reverence our pastors. After all, he is our shepherd and is supposed to be standing in for The Good Shepherd, Jesus. If dear old Pastor Jones used to say this or taught that, we just can't see it any differently even when we read it right out of the Bible for ourselves. We MUST take the position that no matter if even the General Superintendent of our whole organization does not agree, we MUST align with what the Bible teaches in the manner and context in which it teaches it. 

"Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 
"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little. 
"But word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared and taken.
(Isaiah 28:9, 10, 13).
 "For when for the more ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong  meat.  (Hebrews 5:12, 13).
But what happens when we put the verses above from Galatians 1:8,9 in the context of who is writing to whom and under what context it was written. Written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Galatia, Asia Minor, it is written to warn that church about departing from the faith and doctrine preaching that he, Paul had already preached to them. To know what doctrine that was, you have to go back to what we know that Paul did preach. Not only in Galatia, but all of his original preaching that is recored, at least in recognized canonical books of the Bible, at all is recorded in the Book of Acts. While there is evidence of what he had first taught and preached in each of his epistles, the epistles were written to churches or individuals who had already been saved by believing and obeying the doctrines he preached in Acts or else Paul was inconsistent and untrustworthy in his teaching. 

The Apostle Paul, in these two verses, Galatians 1:8 and 9 makes a very strong statement and repeats it for emphasis. His statement agrees with other teachings of Peter and the overall teachings of scripture in general and therefore must not be taken lightly that that was just the Apostle Paul’s idea or opinion. He said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8, 9). So what gospel did he first preach to the Galatian believers and what did he preach wherever he went? The only account of that is to be found  of Paul’s missionary journeys and what he first preached is in the book of Acts. Galatia is not just one city but a large area in what is now the nation of Turkey and included Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Lycaonia and today Ancra. In every epistle book written by Paul, he was writing either to established churches of believers who had been established under his ministry or to individual believers or up-coming pastors. These do NOT contain his original preaching or teaching as referred to in Galatians 1:8,9, but elaboration and clarification to people who have already believed, repented, been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins and received the Holy Spirit baptism by those evidences seen in the book of Acts. [See Acts 2:38, 39; 8:12-25; 9:13-19;10:44-48; 11:12-17;16:14-15, 25-34; 19:1-7; 22:12-16.] So don’t take my word for it, take the Bible’s word for it.The epistles were to explain why certain errors were wrong doctrine; to explain the why of salvation and God's grace that had been taught in Acts. We will be studying the Book of Acts in BIB102 and the Epistles in other courses, but in a capsule, both Jesus Christ Himself and the Apostle Paul taught that God's boundless mercy, grace and love for us provided salvation to those who truly believe, feel the real pricked heart of conviction and repent, slaying their old man of sin, burying that sucker with Christ in baptism and then rising to walk in newness of life as new creatures in Christ Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit.